What are the GST implications of conducting a lottery, raffle, sweepstake or prize competition?

Answer (Taken from an IRD document)

A person who is GST registered (like the Methodist Church and all the parishes, synods and other entities within the group registration) need to account for GST on any lottery, raffle, sweepstake or prize competition they conduct. This could include an unincorporated body or association (like a Parish or Synod).

Overall, GST must be calculated on the amount paid by the participants in the lottery (money coming in), raffle, sweepstake or prize competition, less the amount of all prizes paid or payable in money (cash as a prize).

For lotteries, raffles and sweepstakes, GST needs to be accounted for in the GST period that the drawing or determination of the result of the lottery, raffle or sweepstake is done.

Input tax (the GST on the purchase of the goods and/or services) can be claimed for any GST component of the cost of goods or services that are purchased and used for the making of a taxable supply of the prize competition services. The special deeming provision under s 20(3K) applies to non-profit bodies and ensures that a non-profit body can claim input tax an all goods and services that relate to non-exempt supplies.

Can a supplier claim an input tax deduction for non-cash prizes?

If non-cash prizes in a lottery, raffle, sweepstake or prize competition are donated goods or services, then no input tax deduction is available to the supplier as no GST component was paid for the prize.

What are the practical implications for a person running a raffle, lottery, sweepstake or prize competition?

Running a raffle, lottery, sweepstake or prize competition has a number of GST implications.

In the case of the Methodist Church, which is registered for GST on a group basis, the raffle, lottery, sweepstake or prize competition is GST registered, the ticket or competition fee price includes GST, and GST will need to be paid on the value of the total amount of tickets sold or fees paid, less any cash prizes paid or payable. This may mean that you may need to have a separate chart of account code for lottery and raffle proceeds, to ensure that these funds are treated as being subject to GST, as opposed to other fundraising funds which may be treated as GST-exempt.

Input tax credits may be claimed on costs associated with running a raffle, lottery, sweepstake or prize competition.

10. There may potentially be tax invoicing requirements (see s 24). However, if the consideration for the supply does not exceed $50, a tax invoice is not required to be provided (s 24(5)).

Example

11. The following example explain the application of the GST provisions.

Fundraising raffle

12. The Sunnytown Parish is a Methodist Parish and is GST registered as it is part of the group registration of the Methodist Church.

13. As part of its annual fundraising the Parish runs a raffle, selling tickets for $2 each. The raffle prizes include a family ferry voucher (donated by a ferry company), $100 cash, a massage voucher (donated by the local day-spa) and a basket of food items (purchased by the Parish and paid for in cash). The raffle is drawn at the end of August 2014.

14. The raffle is a “lottery” and, therefore, “gambling” for the purposes of the GST Act. The Parish, in conducting the raffle, is a supplier of gambling services for GST purposes. As the Parish is GST registered, it must account for GST on this fundraiser.

15. The time of supply is the date at the end of August 2014 on which the raffle is drawn. GST on the raffle must be accounted for in the GST return for the GST period in which that date falls (August 2014).

16. The consideration for the raffle is the total amount received from ticket sales, minus the $100 paid as a cash prize. Input tax can be claimed for the grocery items purchased by the Parish. No input tax can be claimed for the donated prizes (i.e., the ferry voucher and the massage voucher).